A common thread in many relgions are purification rituals involving self-deprivation and sacrifice. Thaipusam is a Tamil religious festival that honours the occasion when Goddess Parvati gave Lord Murugan the Vel "divine spear" to vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman. The Vel was said to be made from five metals, and so has purifying properties.
I was in Penang for Thaipusam and decided to see for myself when I met a former student in Kuala Lumpur who was preparing for the festival. Many devotees subject themselves to 48 days of deprivation and ritual preparation.
It was a night of colour, darkness and light, with people hanging bells from their skin and carrying heavy religious objects. For miles along the street were booths for devotees erected by sponsors, with plenty of places giving away free food and water. Oh, and the noise - I will take earplugs next time.
I've met religious devotees of different types before; Christian pilgrims, Hari-krishna dancers, the thai bad-boy completing a self-set task to mark the end of his previous life and a commitment to becoming a better person, Muslims preparing for the Haj. But, I had never seen so many devotees all in the same place. Where we might see a pointless (ha!) infliction of pain upon oneself with heavy loads, hooks and piercings - I've come to understand the transformational importance of self-imposed burdens.
I selected this image as it should a devotee early getting ready outside a booth. The complementary colours of purple and yellow challenge thinking of things as false dualities.
I met a former health official often during my Penang stay. He told me about the preparations to run a safe festival. Banning alcohol - and the politics around that. Recycling, policing and proper disposal of ritual cow's milk because pouring into street gutters would result in rotting milk smells and fatbergs!
